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Janja/Main article
Janja is a spotted hyena who serves as the main antagonist of The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar and the main antagonist in its follow-up series The Lion Guard. He is the leader of a small clan of hyenas that resides in the Outlands. Biography ''The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar When Kion and his best friend Bunga lose their baobab ball in the Outlands, Janja orders Cheezi and Chungu to bring the honey badger to him. Before the hyenas can hurt Bunga, Kion steps in, roaring so loudly that the hyenas drop Bunga, who climbs to safety. Not long after this, Mzingo hears that Kion has been appointed the leader of the new Lion Guard, and he reports back to Janja about the newly formed team. When Janja hears the news, he announces to his clan that they will strike that very night and take down all the animals they can. After Kion assembles his team, Bunga calls to him, shouting that the hyenas are attacking a herd of gazelles. With no time to lose, Kion assembles the Lion Guard. Together, the five friends attack the hyenas, driving them back into the Outlands. Kion finishes the fight with the powerful Roar of the Elders, and even Janja flees in terror. Before leaving, he warns Kion that their conflict is far from over. The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar In the Pride Lands, the dry season has started, and the Lion Guard is busier than ever. During their patrol, Ono informs his friends that Janja's clan is attacking Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard arrives at the scene, and, sure enough, Janja and his crew are attacking the elephants. The Lion Guard is shocked that the hyenas would hunt elephants because of how dangerous it is. The team drives Janja and his clan away, and Ma Tembo explains that the hyenas had been desperate because of the dry season. Later, Janja and his clan attack the baboons who have started following Ma Tembo's herd. The Lion Guard arrives just in time, and have the elephants go into a rocky gorge. Kion then blasts the hyenas away with the Roar of the Elders. Janja and his crew return to the Outlands. Suddenly, they see Ushari and decide to eat him. Ushari asks Janja if he would like something meatier. Janja tells him that he would but can't because the Lion Guard keeps driving his clan off, to which Ushari reveals that that's because Kion's been getting advice from Mufasa. He adds that if the hyenas want to stop the Guard, they should find a way to talk to one of the Great Lions of the Past. Janja retorts that no Great Lion would help the hyenas, but Ushari reminds him that there was one Great Lion who always helped hyenas: Scar. He also reminds Janja that if Kion can talk to Mufasa, there must be a way for them to talk to Scar. Ushari then takes the hyenas into the Pride Lands, where he summons his skink friends to spy on Rafiki and find out if there is a way to talk to Scar. Janja and his crew wait as Ushari leaves with the skinks for Pride Rock. Ushari returns with the information that Evil Lions of the Past like Scar appear in fire if they are unleashed by the Roar and the bakora staff. The hyenas and Ushari then return to the Outlands. In the Outlands, Ushari and Janja decide to use what they have learned to summon Scar. They decide to get Makini's bakora staff, since she's too inexperienced to be a threat, and to attack one of Kion's loved ones and bring them there, since Kion's Roars are at their most powerful when he's angry. The hyenas kidnap Kiara and take Makini's bakora staff. While the rest of the Guard rescues her, Janja tricks Kion by getting him to use the Roar out of anger, causing the volcano to erupt. When Janja throws Makini's staff into the volcano, Scar is successfully summoned, giving the Lion Guard's enemies their own spirit guide. The Lion Guard "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots" Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu are seen attacking a herd of oryx just before the Lion Guard arrives. Kion orders the rest of the Lion Guard to calm the herd while he goes after the hyenas. However, during the pursuit, Kion falls into a river, which sweeps him into the Outlands. Janja and his clan later appear when they confront a female hyena named Jasiri, who had helped Kion get to Flat Ridge Rock. Jasiri is able to easily fend off Cheezi and Chungu, but is pinned down by Janja. Luckily, Kion returns and saves Jasiri by using the Roar of the Elders to scare Janja and his clan away. "Can't Wait to be Queen" After spying on Kiara and Kion and learning that Simba and Nala are away, Mzingo reports back to Janja, explaining that the royal cubs are fighting in the wake of Simba's departure. Janja decides to take advantage of the family struggles and instructs Mzingo to take a special message to Kiara. Under Janja's instructions, Mzingo lands on the peak of Pride Rock and offers a peace proposal to Kiara. Though suspicious, the cub listens as Mzingo tells her that Janja wishes to meet her at Broken Rock, which serves as neutral ground between the Pride Lands and the Outlands. Kiara promises to think the offer over, and Mzingo flies away. When Kion hears about the proposal, he desperately tries to talk his sister out of it, but Kiara points out that Janja probably came to her because Kion is constantly running him off. Furious, Kion points out that she's not really the queen, but Kiara resolves to do things her own way. A frustrated Kion refuses to take part in her plan and runs off into the savanna. Eventually, Kiara reaches Broken Rock, where Janja surrounds her with his cronies, but just in time, Kion arrives with the Lion Guard, and Janja flees. As the hyenas scurry away, Kiara admits that Kion had been right about not being able to trust Janja. "Eye of the Beholder" Janja can be seen in the midst of a wildebeest stampede with his minions, Cheezi and Chungu. The hyenas attempt to use the rising dust from the stampede to mask their movements, but Ono spots them from the air and warns the Lion Guard of their location. The hyenas are driven off, though they later overhear the vultures talking and realize that Ono has lost his sight. Under Janja's instruction, Cheezi and Chungu help trap the Lion Guard in a ravine. With the team trapped, they attempt to pick off a herd of zebras, but Ono once again comes to the rescue, and Kion busts his team free using the Roar of the Elders. Once more at a loss, the hyenas flee into the Outlands. "The Kupatana Celebration" Janja and his clan chase Dogo, a jackal pup, to the border of the Outlands. There, they corner him until the pup is saved by Kion, who pins Janja to the dirt. To Kion's surprise, Janja gives up easily and runs off with his clan. "Fuli's New Family" When Bunga discovers that he's immune to snake bites, he attempts to climb to the top of the volcano. Janja is alerted to Bunga's presence by Cheezi, and the hyenas attempt to eat the honey badger until the rest of the Lion Guard shows up to drive them off. "Follow that Hippo!" Along with Cheezi and Chungu, Janja sneaks into the Pride Lands, where he encounters a group of young animals playing "Lion Guard." The hyenas immediately begin to follow them, and when they catch up to Mtoto and his friends, the young animals flee in panic. After a brief skirmish, the hyenas target Mtoto as the slowest. Meanwhile, the young animals rush up to Beshte and beg him to save Mtoto. Just in time, Beshte shows up to save Mtoto from the hyenas, and the two escape into the water. Together, Beshte and Mtoto manage to avoid the hyenas, who skulk on the edges of the river, trying to catch a bite of them as they pass. Eventually, the rest of the Lion Guard appears and dispatches of the hyenas, who are knocked into the pool, where they're chased in circles by a crocodile float. "The Call of the Drongo" At the beginning of the episode, a drongo named Tamaa mimics Janja's voice in order to scare smaller animals away from their food. Several animals mistake Tamaa as being a real predator, and they implore the Lion Guard to put a stop to the danger. However, when Kion and his team investigate, Janja is nowhere to be seen. Eventually, they follow Janja's voice to where Tamaa sits perched in a bush, and he admits to mimicking predators in order to scare off small animals. Several times, he accidentally uses Janja's voice, and he mimics him most prominently in the song "Bird of a Thousand Voices". Not long after this, the real Janja shows up, flanked by Cheezi and Chungu. Together, the three hyenas attempt to take down a herd of impalas, but the Lion Guard chases them away from the herd. After leaving the impalas behind, Janja happens to overhear Tamaa and corners him in a bush. Tamaa begs the hyenas not to eat him, and Janja assures him that he has other plans for the drongo. Sure enough, Janja forces Tamaa to imitate Kion's voice and send a herd of impalas into the Outlands. The plan works, and the hyenas hold Tamaa captive as they follow the herd into the Outlands. Back in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard happens across a zebra who is fervently trying to escape danger. Upon being questioned, the zebra reveals that he and the impalas had heard Kion instructing them to go to the Outlands for safety. Suspicious, Kion surmises that Janja is forcing Tamaa to herd impalas into the Outlands for his own satisfaction, and the Lion Guard rushes to put a stop to the danger. Meanwhile, Tamaa is forced to watch as Janja creeps up on the herd of impalas, who have been successfully herded into the Outlands. With Janja distracted, Tamaa manages to imitate his voice and trick Cheezi into letting him go. Once free, Tamaa imitates the other Lion Guard members and scares Janja and his cronies into a huddle. However, Janja realizes that Cheezi had let the drongo go, and he corners Tamaa in the ravine. Just in time, the real Lion Guard arrives and chases the hyenas away from Tamaa and the herd of impalas. "Paintings and Predictions" As Ono escorts a zebra herd home, they are watched from a nearby ridge by Janja and his cronies, Cheezi and Chungu. The three hyenas sing "Panic and Run", in which they resolve to eat the zebra herd. Once the herd is back in their grazing grounds, the hyenas attack, and Ono rushes off to fetch the rest of his team. Once there, Kion instructs his friends to take on Cheezi and Chungu, while he handles Janja. As Janja chases a zebra around a large rock, Kion decides to climb an overhanging tree branch in order to ambush him, but Bunga races after him, tackling him to the ground. Together, the two fall on top of Janja, who races off to the Outlands. "The Mbali Fields Migration" When Kion leads a herd of gazelles and zebras through the Outlands, one of the zebras gives birth to a foal, whose loud bray attracts Janja's attention. Together with Cheezi and Chungu, he attempts to scatter the herd, but they stand together, protecting Muhimu and her foal. Unwilling to give up, Janja breaks through the line of zebras until he is kicked in the face by Muhimu's foal, after which he backs off, racing away with Cheezi and Chungu. As he flees, Janja declares that he's never liked zebra anyway, with Cheezi and Chungu agreeing, saying that zebras are too "chewy" and "stripey." "Janja's New Crew" As the Lion Guard patrols the Pride Lands, Janja watches from afar, waiting for them to leave so that he can attack a herd of wildebeests with his clan. Once the Lion Guard is gone, Janja attempts an attack, but he ends up slipping on mud and landing straight in the Lion Guard's paws. Though Janja tries to cover up his plot, Cheezi and Chungu reveal that they had been planning to attack the wildebeests, and Kion banishes the clan with the Roar of the Elders. Once back home in the Outlands, Janja blames all his failed plans on Cheezi and Chungu. In a fury, he fires them and hires Nne and Tano in their place. He then orders his new recruits to drive Cheezi and Chungu out of the Outlands, which they proceed to do without delay. With his new seconds-in-command listening, Janja attempts to explain that he makes all the plans for the clan, but Nne and Tano interrupt, declaring that they already have a plan. Janja listens in confusion as the two explain their plot: they will bait the Lion Guard with a herd of stampeding antelope and then switch direction to attack a herd of oryxes. Surprised by the ingeniousness of the plan, Janja agrees. The plan goes underway, and the Lion Guard takes the bait. Janja nearly gives the clan away until Nne and Tano pull him into hiding. Once the Guard is gone, the hyenas begin to chase a herd of oryxes, but in the midst of the chase, Nne and Tano betray Janja, forcing him off the edge of a cliff. Janja lands safely on a ledge, but he finds himself trapped against the side of the cliff. As Nne and Tano run off without him, Janja cries out for them, attracting the attention of the Lion Guard and his former minions, Cheezi and Chungu. The Lion Guard questions Janja on Nne and Tano's plan, and Janja explains what they had been intending to do. While the Lion Guard races off in pursuit of Nne and Tano, Cheezi and Chungu leap down the cliff to give Janja company. Meanwhile, the Lion Guard defeats Nne and Tano, with Kion using the Roar of the Elders to keep them from harming the oryxes. From his place on the cliff, Janja comments that this is the first time he has ever liked hearing the sound of Kion's Roar. No sooner has he spoken when the Roar causes the ledge to break, taking Janja and his minions with it. The three land safely on the ground, and Janja sets off to the Outlands. Cheezi and Chungu stare after him wistfully until he demands to know if they are coming with him or not. Delighted, the two tear after him, and the three return to the Outlands, once more a united crew. "Never Roar Again" When Janja and his clan try to catch a gazelle in the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard drives them back into the Outlands. However, once the Lion Guard departs, Janja leads his clan back into the kingdom, and the Lion Guard rushes back to stop them. Before the team can reach the hyenas, the clan runs into Kion's mother, Nala, who orders Janja to return to his territory. Instead of heeding Nala's warning, Janja surrounds her with his cronies and orders an attack, as they have her outnumbered. Just then, Kion arrives and, seeing his mother in danger, uses the Roar of the Elders in a rage. The blast is so powerful that it blasts the hyenas back into the Outlands. "Ono's Idol" While out flying with his idol Hadithi, Ono spots a group of klipspringers being trapped on the edge of a cliff by Janja and his minions, Cheezi and Chungu. He suggests that they use the Hadithi Spin to thwart the hyenas, but Hadithi argues that Ono is not ready for such a feat. He then takes off for the ceremony, leaving Ono behind to deal with the crisis. On his own, Ono attempts to stop the hyenas using the Hadithi Spin, but falls and gets his wing trapped beneath a boulder. Cheezi and Chungu hungrily climb up the cliffs to reach him, while Janja rounds up the trapped klipspringers. However, before the hyenas can hurt Ono, Hadithi returns with the Lion Guard, and Fuli fends off Cheezi and Chungu. Meanwhile, Bunga and Kion confront Janja, while Beshte pushes a boulder down for the klipspringers to use as an escape. As Fuli guides the klipspringers to safety, one slips and falls, prompting Janja and his minions to spring an attack. Just in time, Ono and Hadithi fly past and begin to circle the hyenas, making them dizzy. Eventually, they topple off the cliffs and land in the water below. "The Traveling Baboon Show" After the Traveling Baboon Show is caught at stealing food, they are driven into the Outlands by the Lion Guard. Once in the Outlands, the baboons split up. Uroho begins to entertain a meager group of Outlanders while Mwevi and Mwizi attempt to steal food from a volcano. Mwevi and Mwizi are cut short by Janja, however, and he begins to chase them in the hopes of scoring a good meal. Janja pursues the pair outside, where he finds Cheezi and Chungu being entertained by Uroho. Janja orders his minions to give chase, and together the three hyenas rush after the fleeing baboon troop. At first, the baboons prove to agile for Janja and the hyenas to catch, leaping nimbly over their heads and dodging their attacks. But when Uroho leads Mwevi and Mwizi into a blocked cave, Janja and his clan seal them in. Before the hyenas can attack, however, the Lion Guard arrives and attacks the hyenas. A defeated Janja retreats with his clan, warning the baboons never to enter his den again. "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie" Janja is present as Kiburi's float joins Scar's side, welcoming the crocodiles to the Outlands. He then joins in as Scar sings "I Have a Plan". "Swept Away" In Janja's den, a skink arrives and informs Janja and his allies that Beshte is alone in the Outlands. Though Janja tries to dismiss the situation, Scar appears and orders his cronies to eliminate Beshte. When Cheezi and Chungu wonder how they might accomplish this, Scar declares that he has a plan. Later, Janja and his cronies watch as Beshte follows Shupavu and her skinks into a cavern. The skinks continue to lead Beshte through the cavern until they reach a dead-end. From above, the hyenas reveal themselves, and Beshte desperately tries to warn the skinks away from danger. Just then, the hyenas push a large boulder into the pit's exit, trapping Beshte, and the skinks escape by slithering into crevices in the rock. Without his guides, Beshte is left at the mercy of the hyenas, who continue to push rocks into the pit in the hopes of crushing their quarry. Meanwhile, Ono guides the Lion Guard to Rocky Plateau, and Fuli races ahead to stop the hyenas from dropping a massive boulder onto Beshte. As she teeters carefully atop the boulder, keeping it from falling into the pit, the other Guard members rush in and engage the hyenas in a fight. Down below, Beshte starts to clear a path through the fallen rocks. Eventually, Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to clear the hyenas, and Beshte makes his way to safety. Having failed to eliminate Beshte, Janja decides not to report back to Scar, but Ushari arrives promptly and tells the hyenas that an unhappy Scar wishes to speak with them. "Rescue in the Outlands" In the Outlands, Janja and his minions, Cheezi and Chungu, search for the jackals in an attempt to forge an alliance with them. In the midst of their search, Jasiri appears and marks the territory as her own, effectively stealing it from Janja due to his failure to remark his territory for the dry season. In a rage, Janja attacks her, only to be defeated and cast out of his own former territory. Later, Janja reports back to Ushari on his failure to recruit the jackals. He blames Jasiri for his failure, which piques Scar's interest and causes him to suggest adding her to their collective. Janja protests vehemently, singing "The Worst Hyena We Know", in which he laments Jasiri's respect for the Circle of Life and her friendship with the Lion Guard. Hearing this, Scar orders his minions to drive Jasiri from their territory so that she is no longer a threat. In the meantime, Jasiri plays with two hyena pups, Tunu and Wema. Janja watches from afar and orders his clan to attack the trio. The clan launches their attack, and Jasiri desperately attempts to protect the pups from harm. In the midst of the fight, Janja forces the three into an open steam vent, where lava is steadily rising to the surface. As the clan gathers round, preventing any attempt at escape, Jasiri's sister Madoa resolves to get Kion's help. Soon, the Lion Guard arrives and engages in a fight with the hyenas, and Janja and his clan are effectively steered away from the edge of the steam vent. With the hyenas out of the way, Kion orders Beshte to push a large rock into the lava flow, which allows Jasiri and the pups to clamber to safety. By then, all of the hyenas have fled save Janja, who declares that he can still win so long as Jasiri is out of the fight. Just then, Jasiri emerges from the steam vent and challenges Janja to take on both herself and the Lion Guard. Reluctantly, Janja gives up the fight, yelling after Jasiri that matters are not over between them. "The Bite of Kenge" The Lion Guard catches Janja and his minions, Cheezi and Chungu, attempting to steal a supply of melons from the elephants, who need the fruits' moisture to survive the dry season. They manage to fend off the hyenas and save most of the melons, but Kion decides to keep his team watching the melon patch to ensure that no more fruits are stolen. The hyenas return to their den, where they explain the situation to Scar and Ushari. After hearing Janja's story, Scar deduces that destroying the melon supply could offset the Circle of Life, as it would dehydrate the elephants, and orders the hyenas to return to the fruit patch. Janja protests the idea as foolishness, since the Lion Guard is waiting for them there, but Ushari volunteers to connect them with a powerful friend of his who can help them. Once back in the Pride Lands, the hyenas meet Kenge for the first time. They are thoroughly intimidated by his massive size and strength, and ask him if he will help them find the Lion Guard. Kenge merely declares that he is going to wait until they find him. Later, at the melon patch, Kenge quickly assumes authority over the hyenas, ordering them to roll the melons out of the patch. Just in time, Bunga and Ono arrive, with Bunga taking on Kenge while Ono stops the hyenas from stealing the melons, but he and Ono are both bitten, allowing Kenge and his hyena allies to escape with the melons. Later, Bunga and Makini follow Kenge and the hyenas to Embamba Canyon, where Bunga distracts the thieves while Makini steals their melons and hides them behind rocks. While ridiculing his enemies, Bunga stumbles upon Kenge's trigger word, "little." In his attempts to catch Bunga, Kenge accidentally bites Cheezi and Chungu, paralyzing them. He nearly bites Janja when a melon is thrown his way, and he turns his attention to Makini. Just then, a fully healed Lion Guard approaches. The hyenas attempt to run, but are hindered by their paralyzed legs. Taking advantage of this, Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blast Kenge and the hyenas back to the Outlands, where the melons are out of their reach. Physical appearance Janja is an ashen-gray hyena with a lighter underbelly and darker spots along his back. His mane is spiked back, and there is a notch in his left ear. Unlike his clan, whose tails are all black, the underside of Janja's tail is gray. Janja and the rest of his clan don't appear to be fully grown, as they are only slightly bigger than a lion cub. Personality and traits Like his hyena ancestors before him, Janja is a greedy and selfish leader with no regard for the Circle of Life. His unabated hunger drives him to extreme measures, as he is willing to stand against Simba and the Lion Guard, and his ruthless nature shines through in even everyday interactions. Janja is unforgiving to his minions and mercilessly mocks them in front of the clan, refusing to believe their excuses and stories. This is likely because his minions are not his friends; they are simply a means to an end, for Janja is crafty and uses his clan mates to do his dirty work for him. Janja's intelligence is undeniable. Surrounded on all sides by witless hyenas, he stands out as the clever member of the clan, utilizing his allies to either defeat the Lion Guard or take over the Pride Lands. Under Janja's guidance, the hyenas prove a great threat, especially since they are often swayed to his side through his natural charisma and cunning. Janja will ensure that the clan's goals always align with his own. Despite his ruthless ambitions and sharp intellect, Janja is also a bit of a coward, usually only choosing to fight when the odds are in his favor, and he is known to promptly turn tail and run when faced with a fair fight. Voice actors * 'The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar' - (2015) - (film) - Andrew Kishino * 'The Lion Guard' - (2016–) - (TV series) - Andrew Kishino Trivia * Although Janja is written as the leader of his clan, a hyena clan is realistically led by a female.http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hyena/ * A teaser for ''The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar confirms that Janja's clan is descended from the hyenas of the original film.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7zvV8Gffaw&t=0m48s Gallery References Category:Animals Category:Antagonists Category:Characters Category:Leaders Category:The Lion Guard Characters Category:The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar Characters Category:Males Category:Official Characters Category:Outlanders Category:Spotted Hyenas